The Limas Sweed Jersey

The biggest story in sports (at least in my world) is the Pirates taking the first three games of the five-game series against the Cardinals propelling the team to the best record in baseball. Arguably the second biggest story in sports is Texas A&M quarterback Johnny Manziel. Honestly, I don't really follow Manziel that closely. He is a college student that is probably only 20 who has been thrust into the public eye thanks to winning the Heisman Trophy. He may drink a little too much, but he's a college student, and we wouldn't know this except that he's the most well-know college student in America. Manziel recently attended a party at The University of Texas wearing a Tim Tebow Jets jersey. This turned out to be a big deal since Tebow can be a polarizing figure and the fact that the party took place at Texas A&M's rival. Apparently, you are not allowed to go to a party on the campus of a rival school. I guess I followed this rule in college and graduate school as I never attended a party at Cortland State or The University of Michigan (though I was never invited either).

Anyway, this is a long introduction simply to share this picture of Manziel at the Texas party.

Notice the guy on the front right? Yes, he's wearing a Limas Sweed Pittsburgh Steelers jersey. A Limas Sweed jersey! Sweed is best known for being for being a second round pick in 2008, yet he only had 7 receptions in his two seasons for the Steelers. While I think it's fair to say that he was a bust, his legacy lives on!

This is now the second time I've featured someone wearing a Limas Sweed jersey. Could it be the same guy?


P.S. Both Steelers Lounge and PSAMP posted similar stories before I did. Good job, guys!

Penguins-Islanders Pictures (Hockey Road Trip 2010)

On Sunday, I watched the Pittsburgh Penguins face the New York Islanders live from Nassau Coliseum. Instead of describing the game and my trip, I thought I would share my Ansel Adams skills.

Sidney Crosby takes a faceoff. An overlooked part of Crosby's game is his ability taking and winning faceoffs. Did you know that Crosby took the most faceoffs in the league this season (1791; Paul Stastny of Colorado was 2nd with 1703) winning 55.9% of them?



Not overlooked is the fact the Crosby scored 51 goals this season. Here is Sid celebrating goal #50 with Sergei Gonchar, Pascal Dupuis and Evgeni Malkin. Apparently, Alex Goligoski is taking his time to join the fun.



Eric Godard scored his first goal of the season in the final regular season game. I don't have a picture of that. Instead, I have a picture of him fighting Joel Rechlicz.



My first hockey memories consisted of watching the Pittsburgh Penguins on WPGH-Channel 53. It seems like Rick Kehoe and the Pens faced the New York Islanders every game and always lost handedly as guys like Bryan Trottier, Mike Bossy, Denis Potvin and Billy Smith dominated. Of course, those guys dominated the league for four straight years!



Fortunately, I have much better memories of Trottier from the end of his career.



The Pens led 5-2 after two periods, but the Islanders stormed back to force overtime. Jordan Leopold scored the game-winner and there was great celebration throughout the land (except from some Islanders fans; others didn't mind the loss since winning would have hurt the team's drafting status). By the way, what is Bill Guerin doing?



Finally, why would someone wear a Limas Sweed jersey to a Pittsburgh PENGUINS game? Perhaps this guy knew the Steelers would trade Santonio Holmes later in the evening meaning Sweed may have an increased role in the 2010 season.



I have two other non-picture highlights from the game. First, I met Tecmo of PSAMP (Pittsburgh Sports & Mini Ponies). I've admired his work for several years and it was nice meeting a fellow Pittsburgh blogger in person. Cool guy!

Second, near the end of the first period, we learned that the Philadelphia Flyers and New York Rangers were in the shootout to determine who would advance to the playoffs. Nearly our entire section attempted to watch a television approximately a mile away and then tried to guess whether or not the team scored based on the reaction. Islanders fans were pleased with the result of the Rangers sitting home or golfing this week.

For more about the game, visit NHL.com, the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette and/or ESPN.

Plus, please click here for the Boston portion of Hockey Road Trip 2010.

Super Bowl Sunday Thoughts

I was snowed in yesterday so I had lots of time to watch television. Here are my thoughts on the Super Bowl and more:

- Enough of the Danica Patrick commercials! Does anyone really ever go up to her and ask if she’s the Go Daddy girl? Even if someone actually does this, no one rips their shirt open wearing a Go Daddy tank top in front of Patrick. If this really happens on a regular basis, Danica Patrick should have her own TV channel.

- The Super Bowl commercials were not very memorable. However, Doritos and Budweiser had some decent ads and seeing Betty White run a crossing pattern better than Limas Sweed* was fun.

- Congratulations to Dick LeBeau on his election to the football Hall of Fame! Well deserved even if it was 30 years late.

- Jerry Rice received the biggest ovation during the pre-game ceremony introducing the new Hall of Fame class. I guess people recognized him from Dancing With the Stars.

- While I still like the Puppy Bowl, it just wasn’t the same without Harry Kalas.

- As a Pittsburgh Penguins fan, I’m never going to like the Washington Capitals. However, this has nothing to do with the team itself. While I think Alexander Ovechkin takes cheap shots on occasion, he is amazing to watch on the ice. It’s easy to recognize that he is one of the best players in the world. My issue comes down to Capitals fans. There is no respect at all among Caps fans for Sidney Crosby. Caps fans must have noticed all of his goals during last season’s playoff series where he went straight to the net and took abuse and hits from the Caps defenders to score. Crosby had another two goals against the Caps yesterday. Keep bringing those pacifiers while showing your admiration towards Alexander Semin, Caps fans.



- Only two days until the 2nd Annual Best Pittsburgh Sports Blog Tournament!


* I feel bad making fun of Limas Sweed. I really hope he has a breakout season next year. Of course, breakout would be 10 catches.

Steelers Season In Review

I've written and rewritten parts of this post several times. I'm trying to balance the disappointment of not making the playoffs after coming off of a Super Bowl Championship with the fact that the organization is still one of the best in football. I'm sure many of you don't see that today, but living in the DC area, it's easy to see that the Steelers are in significantly better shape than the Washington Redskins and many other teams in the NFL (ex. Detroit Lions, St. Louis Rams).

Before I share my thoughts, let's look back at the 2009-2010 predictions by drinkyourmilkshake of Behind the Steel Curtain; Phil of Phil's Occasional Musings; Michael Rizzo of Rizzo Sports (and the Rizzo Sports Blog); Messiah, Marc & Gobo of White Nerdy Wonks; Donald of Steelers Today; Steve of Steve Is Alive; Rob of The Bluey Blog; and me.

1. Number of sacks James Harrison will have this season.
Steve predicted 12 for James and that Woodley would lead the team with 15.5. Messiah also believed that Harrison would have 12 sacks. The actual amount was 10 with Woodley leading the team with 13.5 sacks.

2. Limas Sweed's numbers (catches, yards & touchdowns).
The actual amount was 1 catch for 5 yards and 0 touchdowns. We all expected significantly more except for Rob who predicted "no more than 10 catches, 1 TD and 150 yards."

3. Stefan Logan: Reminds me of Antwaan Randle El as a Steeler; Greatest returner in team history; or Another Allen Rossum?

Well, Logan didn't have any touchdowns but he set the Steelers record for most kick-off return yards. Logan wasn't anything special returning punts and was often replaced by Mewelde Moore when a fair catch was probable. Overall, though, he was a solid returner and improved his special teams coverage as the year progressed.

Messiah - I'd say he's not quite Twaan, but certainly better than Colclough.
Donald - I predict that Logan will become the greatest 5'7" returner in team history.

Points for both Messiah & Donald!

4. Will Jeff Reed be arrested during the season?
Rob - Once, for drunk and disorderly conduct.

During the season, Reed was cited by police for disorderly conduct and public intoxication.

5. Who will lead the team in touchdowns scored?
Rob - Rashard Mendenhall. Mendenhall led the team with 8 touchdowns followed by Hines Ward, Heath Miller and Mike Wallace with 6 each. I need to take Rob with me to Vegas the next time I go!

6. Season prediction (please include the team record) + Any other thoughts/predictions:
All of us predicted division champs and playoffs. I think Phil's prediction was the closest though. 11-5. It's extraordinarily difficult to repeat as Super Bowl champions. I think we're going to have another good year and win the division but lose a close-game heartbreaker in the playoffs. Maybe that's just what I'm used to as a fan. Despite our success, I wouldn't know what to do with myself if I didn't have something to complain about when it comes to the Steelers.

Phil, that brings us to today. There were certainly positives to the season such as the pending stardom of LaMarr Woodley, the thought that Rashard Mendenhall can be a #1 running back and the fact that Mike Wallace may be the offensive rookie of the year. Unfortunately, there were more negatives. The kick return coverage was among the worst in NFL history and the defense rarely made stops when needed. The secondary struggled, particularly in the fourth quarter, though I wonder how much of this was related to Troy Polamalu's absence. Taking away one of the best players in football certainly impacts the rest of the team and especially the secondary. I'm a big fan of Tyrone Carter playing spot duty or in specific packages. Unfortunately, he was exposed playing nearly every down. It also didn't help that rookies Ryan Mundy (I know he's not really a rookie, but he never left the practice squad in 2008) and Joe Burnett were playing significant minutes and that another rookie Keenan Lewis couldn't get on the field.

Now here's the positive to all of this. The Steelers have had a history of getting little production out of players in their first season only to see great improvements during their second season. It happened with Mendenhall, Polamalu, Woodley, and Lawrence Timmons. If we get similar growth out of players like Mundy, Burnett, Lewis, Ziggy Hood, and tackle Ramon Foster along with a healthy Polamalu and Aaron Smith, I think the team will be in good shape coming into next season.

There are a few other items that should be addressed. I know that a lot of people think offensive coordinator Bruce Arians should go. I'm not so sure. The Steelers finished 7th in the league in total yards with better numbers than playoff teams such as Indianapolis, San Diego, Philadelphia and Baltimore. While we may miss the days of giving the ball to Jerome Bettis 25 times a game and watching him run for over 100 yards, the NFL is now a passing league and that's where the team excels. Unfortunately, the team isn't able to close games like we did in seasons past. To have Bettis run out the clock in the fourth quarter when everyone knows that the team is going to run. However, I don't think you can pin this on Arians. The team, and in this case I'm referring to the personnel department, hasn't adequately addressed the offensive line over the past few years.



Bottom line: Perhaps this was Super Bowl Hangover Part II. It's certainly possible that the team overlooked Kansas City, Oakland and Cleveland. They may not have said it, but I'm sure that the players came into those games knowing they were the better team and believed that they would win just by showing up. That won't happen next year. I also believe that having Polamalu and Smith healthy would have translated into at least one more win. One more win would have got the team into the playoffs.

Finally, not everything is bad in the world. The Steelers have won two Super Bowl Championships over the last 5 seasons. How many teams would dream of having even one?

Trivia Tuesday

I have had a Yahoo e-mail account for nearly 10 years. While this particular e-mail address is no longer my primary account, it is essentially my all-purpose/utility infielder e-mail. Whenever I sign up for something, I do so using this Yahoo e-mail. Therefore, I receive regular e-mails from airlines, hotels, restaurants, sports teams, and more. Last night, someone or something managed to send an e-mail from this account to many of my contacts with no subject and simply a link. One of my friends actually clicked on this link and told me it was for a website selling Viagra. Lovely. While I contacted Yahoo and changed my password, I may need to get rid of this e-mail. I'm reluctant to do so since there are personal messages in there from years past that I don't want to lose. However, if spam messages are sent from this e-mail again, it's D-U-N, done.

So this paragraph is a long way of writing that I don't really have a Trivia Tuesday this week. Therefore, I made up my own based on current events.

1. 86-year-old 84 Lumber founder Joe Hardy married for the fourth time on Saturday. How old is his new wife?

2. What was Brittany Murphy's best film?

3. What part of Monday night's Giants-Redskins game made me laugh out loud?

4. The Federal government and nearly every school in the DC area closed on Monday due to the 20+ inches of now in the region. We received an e-mail on Sunday night from Target saying that they would be open on Monday. What time did Target open?

5. How many times did I shave over the last three days (Saturday, Sunday & Monday)?

6. How many members of the Woodland Hills High School football team are currently playing in the NFL? (Bonus: name them)

7. Pittsburgh Steelers WR Limas Sweed was placed on injured reserve ending his disappointing season. Where does he rank in on the team in catches and receiving yards?

8. Have you seen Avatar? If so, is it worth seeing?

As always, please leave your responses in the comments section below and do not use the internet for answers. Good luck!

Yinz Luv Jim Shearer

Maybe you know Jim Shearer as a former MTV2 VJ and current host of VH1's Top 20 Video Countdown. Maybe you know Jim Shearer as the genius behind Yinz Luv 'Da Stillers and Yinz Luv 'Da Guins, the incredibly entertaining videos about the Steelers and Penguins respectively. Maybe you don't know Jim Shearer at all, so I'm here to introduce him to you. Actually, I just sent Jim a few questions and he was kind enough to reply, so I'll let him "speak" for himself.



How did the Yinz Luv videos get started?

My MTV contract ended at the beginning of 2008 and I was looking for work. Trying to branch off into sports (which I thought could eventually bring me back home to the 'burgh) I went to an audition at the NHL. They were starting up a daily web-show. The audition lasted about two minutes, and I didn't get the job (sigh). As the playoff season started that year, I thought to myself, "Well, if the NHL doesn't want me, I'll just start up my own web-show." While throwing around ideas in my head, I quickly realized that "yinz" rhymed with "guins," and the rest is history.

Do you draw all of the figures in the intros?

Yep. I draw them all. If you notice in the early episodes of Yinz Luv 'Da Guins, the cardboard cutouts aren't as detailed as they are now. That's because I was rushing around to put the intro together, right as the playoffs began, and right as I was about to launch the show. Once I had more time, I could get more creative with the figures (i.e., Ulf Samuelsson viciously checking Cam Neely or Brooks Orpik's crazy-eyes stare).

I think I already know the answer based on the fact that you stated that you draw all of the figures, but is there anyone else that helps you with the Yinz Luv videos? They are so well done that it seems like multiple people must work on them.

I do most of the work on the episodes--hosting (obviously), editing, and producing the segments. However, if you ever see me with another person on an episode, it usually means that someone else is helping me tape. My good buddy Fuzz tapes some of the tailgate interviews and drives me to away games (since I don't own a car).

If the Pirates ever make the playoffs, could we see a Yinz Luv the Buccos?

I might consider doing some episodes if 'Da Buccos make the playoffs, but because I'm holding down a full-time job, while simultaneously doing web-shows for 'Da Guins and 'Da Stillers, the baseball season is my off-season; my decompression period if you will.



Switching over to your day job, has there ever been someone you interviewed on MTV/VH1 that you weren't really looking forward to meeting, but turned out to be extremely (perhaps surprisingly) cool?

All the time, and it happens a lot more often now, because I'm working in the world of pop music. When I was working at MTV2, I hosted 120 Minutes and Subterranean, which dealt with indie-minded music (which is more my preference). Not that I wasn't looking forward to meeting him, but I just met 50 Cent last week, and I was surprised how friendly he was. He shook everyone's hand on the set, and hung around following his interview to small talk with the crew.

Have you ever hung out with VH1 regulars Bret Michaels or Flavor Flav?

I have not. I have interviewed Flavor Flav backstage at a Public Enemy show though, and let me just say, he's hounded constantly for picture, autograph, and hug requests. I remember him as an all-time great hypeman in hip-hop, but his series of reality shows has opened him up to a whole other audience.



I may be one of the few people that watch you on both Yinz Luv and VH1's Top 20 Countdown. To prove it, I enjoyed watching you grow a playoff beard during the Pens' Stanley Cup run on VH1. Did anyone (either at work or at home) give you a hard time about growing the beard or sharing your Pens fandom on national TV?

Before the playoffs even started, I approached our executive producer and asked if I could grow the beard. He, being a big sports fan too, agreed to it. I did give a warning, "Just to let you know, the Pens could go all the way, so I may have this thing on my face for a while." I think the charity tie-in also helped. Who's gonna give you crap if you're raising money for cancer research?

One of the reasons why I asked you about the playoff beard is because I may grow a mustache for charity in November. Do you have any advice for me?

Grow that mustache. It's easy money for charity and makes the ordinary, everyday routine of looking in the mirror a little more exciting.

Finally, now that we're 1/4 of the way through the season (Sean’s note: Jim answered this question prior to the Steelers-Lions game), do you have any general thoughts about the Steelers?

Um, we really need Troy in the lineup, Limas Sweed needs to learn how to hold onto a football in the big leagues, and as a team, the Steelers have to close out games with authority (which will make our lives as fans less stressful).

Jim is passionate about Pittsburgh sports and puts together amazing videos from his unique perspective. If you haven't seen his work before (where have you been?), here's the latest Yinz Luv 'Da Stillers. (Sean's update: It seems like many of the YLDS videos are gone, so this is one from after the Steelers-Packers Super Bowl.



Jim is also passionate about music and recently put together his video playlist on VH1. I figure that I might as well show what he does during the day, so here is Jim talking about Coffee and TV by Blur:

VH1 TV Shows | Music Videos | Celebrity Photos | News & Gossip

This video has nothing to do with the interview or Jim, but since he talked for almost an entire minute about it, here is Blur in one of the greatest videos ever.



Thanks again to Jim and make sure that you visit Yinz Luv 'Da Stillers and Yinz Luv 'Da Guins and watch him on VH1.

Photos courtesy of Jim Shearer via the Pittsburgh City Paper (you can probably tell that their interview is much more professional than mine) and PSAMP.

Quick Steelers-Titans Notes

Just a few thoughts from Thursday night's Steelers-Titans game:

* I’m sure someone out there is going to say that Troy Polamalu got injured because of the Madden Curse. No, he got hurt since big, fat Alge Crumpler landed on Troy’s knee/leg.

* While the Steelers will obviously miss Troy for the 3-6 weeks he’ll be out, I don’t see the team losing a step. Tyrone Carter knows the system extremely well and is a solid replacement. Plus, we’ll get to see how Ryan Mundy performs.

* During training camp, there was a lot of talk about Willie Parker and whether the team would resign him (or if it was worth resigning him). Talk about how Mendenhall would perform in year #2 and if he would take carries from FWP. Isaac Redman and Frank "the Tank" Summers also got a lot of press. However, no one mentioned Mewelde Moore, who was only the best Steelers running back last night. I don’t think you could ask for a better 3rd down/2-minute drill back. He catches the ball well, makes smart decisions (see running out of bounds with 1 second left in the first half; of course, it got wiped out by a penalty), and can block.

* Although Roethlisberger threw 33 completions for 363 yards, you might have noticed that none of those completions and receiving yards went to Limas Sweed. Perhaps Rob was correct in his prediction that Sweed would have no more than 10 catches, 1 TD and 150 yards.

* I don’t remember being this excited for the Steelers’ special teams in years. Logan is an exciting returner; Sepulveda had a nice game; Reed is nearly automatic; and there was even a blocked field goal.

* Finally, this Ziggy did as much for the Steelers last night as Ziggy Hood.



Overall, the team is 1-0 with a win over a quality AFC opponent. Plus, the Steelers now get 10 days off until they face Chicago next Sunday.

As always, you can read more about the game on the Post-Gazette and by visiting the other Pittsburgh sports blogs listed on the right side of this page.

2009-2010 Steelers Predictions

The NFL season (finally) officially begins tonight when the defending Super Bowl Champion Pittsburgh Steelers face the Tennessee Titans. As a preview of the 2009-2010 season, I decided to ask some of my favorite Steeler fan bloggers their predictions for the season. Unfortunately, they did not reply. Instead, here are the predictions from other folks! (A little humor for you!)

Before we begin, here are your fine panels of experts:

* drinkyourmilkshake of Behind the Steel Curtain
* Phil of Phil's Occasional Musings
* Michael Rizzo of Rizzo Sports (and the Rizzo Sports Blog)
* Messiah of White Nerdy Wonks
* Donald of Steelers Today
* Marc of White Nerdy Wonks
* Steve of Steve Is Alive
* Gobo of White Nerdy Works
* Sean of Sean's Ramblings (That's me!)
* Rob of The Bluey Blog

1. Number of sacks James Harrison will have this season.

DYM - 16, also the number of babies he will eat this season.
Phil - 15, though a few of them might be questionable when the QB falls down and covers his head as Silverback speeds toward him.
Michael - 17, He'll battle with Timmons of the team lead.
Messiah - He and Woodley will flip-flop on who is able to get to the QB more often. Let's go with 12 sacks for Harrison.
Donald - If the refs continue to let offensive linemen hold Harrison on every play, he'll have 18 sacks. If they don't allow him to be held, he'll have 79 sacks.
Marc - 19.5
Steve - 12 for James. Woodley leads the team with 15.5 this year!
Gobo - 12.5
Sean - 14
Rob - 23, breaking Michael Strahan's record.

2. Limas Sweed's numbers (catches, yards & touchdowns).

DYM - 25 catches, 400 yards, 5 touchdowns.
Phil - 45, 750, 7
Michael - 52 / 10 - He'll be the favorite receiver near the End Zone
Messiah - Limas will have a year reminiscent of Nate Washington two years ago. 30 catches, 450 yards, 5 TDs.
Donald - As longs as it's more than last year, I'll be happy. Ummmmm, except drops. I want to see less of those.
Marc - 30, 350, 2
Steve - 34 grabs. 765 yards 4 TD's. I think that is fair?!?!
Gobo - 45 catches, 625 yards, 5 TD
Sean - 35 catches, 475 yards, 4 TDs. Solid numbers for a 4th receiver (I'm considering Heath as #3).
Rob - Do you mean butterfingers? No more than 10 catches, 1 TD and 150 yards. Yeah, I'm serious.



3. Stefan Logan: Reminds me of Antwaan Randle El as a Steeler; Greatest returner in team history; or Another Allen Rossum? (Sean's note: This was a poorly formed question as I was only referring to Logan as a returner)

DYM - Better than Randle-El, easily gets in the end-zone at least three times this season.
Phil - I hope he's another Antwaan Randle-El. We're going to need a guy like that to compete in the new "all-Wildcat, all the time" NFL of 2009.
Michael - He'll be good.
Messiah - Too early to tell. I'd say he's not quite Twaan, but certainly better than Colclough.
Donald - I predict that Logan will become the greatest 5'7" returner in team history.
Marc - El, yeah
Steve - I think he will be in the middle. Randle El was one of a kind and contributed more on offense than Logan will (or is expected to). However, I do expect MANY game changing plays from the pint sized CFL star.
Gobo - Better than Rossum, not quite Randle-El because he can’t QB. I’ll go with 2 return TDs this year, with another 6 called back for holding.
Sean - I love any professional athlete that is the same height as me! He'll be solid and will finish 3rd in the AFC in average punting return yards with 2 TDs.
Rob - He's the real deal and will finally make us forget Randle El.

4. Will Jeff Reed be arrested during the season?

DYM - Perhaps if Chris Hanson starts "To Catch a Predator" back up.
Phil - Only by drunken, curvaceous women in Strip District bars.
Michael - Arrested - NO, he plays for the Steelers, which means people will go out of their way not to arrest him. He has a much better chance of being a honorary Allegheny County Sheriff, or being named ambassador to Luxembourg.
Messiah - Depends on how well the ball boys keep the towel dispenser stocked in the clubhouse
Donald - No. However, he will get several under-aged girls pregnant and secretly pay for them to have abortions.
Marc - No, during the off season
Steve - Only if Sheetz is out of paper towels again.......
Gobo - No, but shortly thereafter.
Sean - Some civil lawsuits, but no arrests.
Rob - Once, for drunk and disorderly conduct.



5. Who will lead the team in touchdowns scored?

DYM - Santonio Holmes
Phil - Santonio Holmes
Michael - Parker
Messiah - Willie Parker
Donald - Hines Ward. Or Willie Parker. Or Rashard Mendenhall. Or Santonio Holmes. Or Heath Miller. Or Frank Summers. Or.......Ummm, how many guesses do I get?
Marc - Holmes
Steve - William Parker. I guarantee a BIG season for # 39.
Gobo - Holmes
Sean - Fast Willie Parker with 10 TDs. I should have drafted him in one of my fantasy leagues!
Rob - Rashard Mendenhall

6. Season prediction (please include the team record) + Any other thoughts/predictions:

DYM - The Steelers will be awesome, #1 defense, top 10 offense, and another SB run. 13-3 record.

Phil - 11-5, AFC North champions. It's extraordinarily difficult to repeat as Super Bowl champions. I think we're going to have another good year and win the division but lose a close-game heartbreaker in the playoffs. Maybe that's just what I'm used to as a fan. Despite our success, I wouldn't know what to do with myself if I didn't have something to complain about when it comes to the Steelers.

Michael - 15-1 - The Steelers have a great chance to go undefeated. The Steelers should win another Super Bowl, if they get by Tennessee on Thursday, their only stumbling block to an undefeated season might be the Detroit [game].

Messiah - Willie Parker has a return to 2006 greatness, starts all 16 games, finishes in the top 3 in rushing, and will actually make people sad when he leaves after the season. Steelers lose to the Ravens at least once, go 12-4 (losses to Titans, Vikings, Ravens, Dolphins in meaningless last week), but win division due to Ravens' tougher schedule. Will get playoff bye, but facing Colts and Pats in back-to-back weeks could prove too tough, when the regular season schedule was relatively conflict-free.

Donald - 13-3. AFC North champs. AFC champs. Super Bowl champs.

Marc - 12-4 with some distance in the playoffs. Plus, Browns go 0&16

Steve - Take a look at the schedule again - there is no reason why the Steelers can't repeat as AFC North Champions. They play the entire AFC West (Chiefs, Raiders, Broncos, and Chargers), the Lions, and the Browns twice - that is 7 wins right there, with the Chargers being the toughest game. I honestly truly believe (fan bias aside) the Steelers will go 13-3 and return to the Super Bowl. "Big Play" Willie Gay is going to have a breakout season and will lead the team in INT's.

Gobo - 12-4, win AFC North, #2 seed, have to go to Foxboro for the AFC Championship game. I’m not predicting that game because I’m afraid to predict a win, but
It’s too depressing to predict a loss. If they make it to the SB, they win. Lawrence Timmons will have at least 10 sacks and turnovers (INT or FF) combined.

Sean - 12-4 and another division title. I don't want to make any predictions about the playoffs since I may need to do a similar post in January! In addition, instead of the Summer of George, this will be the Fall of Sepulveda!

Rob - 12-4. Steelers beat the Cowboys in Super Bowl XLIV

Feel free to add your own predictions in the comments section.


I also asked these questions to The Restaurant Refugee, and though he declined to make specific predictions, he shared this amazing story from a trip to training camp and meeting Mean Joe Greene.



As a native Washingtonian, it is frequently assumed that I am a fan of the hometown squad*. I take particular pride in resolving this misconception by stating “I am a Pittsburgh Steeler fan by birth and the grace of God.” My father was born in Pittsburgh and the first thing he taught me about football was “you love the Steelers… this is a football.”

As children, my sister and I went to training camps to see our heroes up close. One day my sister had to use the restroom as the practice was breaking. I got to meet Mean Joe Greene, and got him to autograph my jersey. My sister got a wait for the bathroom. Of course, I teased her about her poorly timed bladder and my good fortune. She wrote MJG a letter explaining what happened. He replied with a personal and hand-written note which read:

Nina,
Thanks for being my number one fan. I am sorry that I didn’t get to meet you on your last visit. I hope these tickets** make up for it. I’ll see you in the stands.
Best Wishes,
Mean Joe Greene

As if this incredibly gracious gesture weren’t enough, Mr. Greene had his letter laminated onto a piece of wood with an autographed picture. It hung in my sister’s room until she bought her own place where it hangs prominently in her living room. I’m not sure where my jersey is.

Regarding this season, my best guess is that the Steelers get back to the playoffs with a first round bye. Beyond that, I have no predictions. I am comforted by the fact that neither the Cowboys nor the Niners are going to get anywhere near a sixth ring this year. We got six and the rest of the league can suck it until somebody else gets there too.

* I cannot believe that in the year 2009 we have a team in the NFL that still bears a name as patently racist and clearly offensive as the moniker of the Washington franchise.

** Tickets were to a game lost to the Bengals but who cares it was still an incredible thing to have done – and yes, we all got to meet him afterwards.


Finally, there will be a live blog here of tonight's Steelers-Titans game. Feel free to add your thoughts while watching the game. Go Steelers!

Brief Steelers-Cardinals Notes

I refuse to write a thorough post about a preseason NFL game. While I plan my entire schedule around Steelers games during the regular season, I will only watch preseason games if they are on national TV (meaning that the game is on TV in Washington) and I have nothing else planned. Anyway, here are my notes from Thursday’s Steelers-Cardinals game:

* Isaac Redman > Frank the Tank

* I’d love to give Ziggy Hood a lot of credit for his sack, but the Cardinals offensive line didn’t try to block him.

* Limas Sweed made some nice catches. It will be interesting to watch the battle for 3rd receiver between him and Shaun McDonald.

* What an interception by Anthony Madison! It’s too bad the interception didn’t count due to a lousy pass interference penalty.

* I think we’re going to like having a healthy Daniel Sepulveda this season.

* Myron Bell, I mean Joe Burnett, made a nice interception and put a great hit on a Cardinals defender trying to down a punt leading to a touchback.

* If there were any thoughts of kicker Piotr Czech him making the team if Jeff Reed gets hurt, he’s D-U-N done after missing a short field goal wide left. OK, his 44-yard field goal late in the fourth quarter was fine.

* Where do you draft Cardinals running back Tim Hightower in your fantasy league? He’s the #1 back and looked solid against the Steelers’ first team defense.

* James Harrison had six tackles in just over a quarter of work (if that). I think he could be a good football player!

* We all know the former Steeler players and coaches on Arizona, but they may also be the University of Pittsburgh West with former Panthers Larry Fitzgerald, Tyler Palko, LaRod Stephens-Howling and Gerald Hayes.


That's actually more than I thought I would write. Maybe I'm already in regular season form! (or not)

Solution for Macy's Economic Troubles

You may have heard that Macy's is cutting 7000 jobs. However, it seems like the company has a full proof plan to make it through these troubled times: sell Waterford Crystal products to Steelers fans.



Order your Waterford "Pittsburgh Steelers" Commemorative Football and Helmet through Macy's online catalog today. The 5 1/2" x 3" football (with a certificate of authenticity) could be yours within 33 shipping days for $125. Meanwhile, the 6 1/2" x 4" helmet sells for only $185. What a bargain!

Be the envy of all of your friends. Unless, of course, your friends are Ben Roethlisberger, Limas Sweed or Deshea Townsend.

(h/t Kevin)

What Are You Wearing for the Super Bowl (and Predictions)

I contacted some of my favorite Pittsburgh Steelers bloggers* and asked them what they are wearing for the Super Bowl. Then I realized that the question sounded a little inappropriate at best and creepy at worst, so I rephrased the question to this: Is there something that you will wear or have near you, not including a Terrible Towel which is a given, on Sunday? This question was especially geared for the superstitious folks out there like me. There was also an option to submit predictions about the game and a final score.

Tecmo of PSAMP:

I'm gross. I have three pairs of Steelers socks. I wore a pair for the San Diego game, then took 'em off right after we were done, knowing I'd need 'em, unwashed, again. I wore the same pair for the Baltimore game, and immediately took them off once we won. They're still not washed, but I've only worn them during game-time, and I'll do the same Sunday.

This is in addition to my Hines Ward jersey and two Bettis Foundation wristbands. And my Terrible Towel that helped Doug Brien miss those FGs into the closed end of the stadium.

17-14 Steelers. We're trained to win games like that. They're not.

Judge Rufus Peckham of Carbolic Smoke Ball:

I will drape around my shoulders one of the original Terrible Towels that I have worn for every post-season game since 1975. I am assured that the smallpox that somehow had infested the cloth last season was driven off at precisely the time that President Obama took the presidential oath (the second time -- the first time didn't take).

Gobo of White Nerdy Wonks:

I’ll be wearing a Max Starks game-worn thong that I purchased on eBay, and nothing else.

As for predictions, I’m too superstitious to actually predict the final score, but I will predict that Roethlisberger will have a better QB rating than he did in Superbowl XL. I realize I’m setting the bar pretty low here. I’ll also predict that Lawrence Timmons will have at least one sack or near-sack. I think LeBeau will use Timmons instead of Foote more often than usual, to give the Steelers more pass-rushing options up the middle, so Warner won’t be able to know where the rush is coming from.



Cotter of One For The Other Thumb:

Depends who’s asking there, big guy? No, seriously though. I shall be donning my usual pair of jeans, same black studded "look at how punk rock I am" belt, the same Myron Cope Yoi (double Yoi on back) t-shirt (hmmmmhahh!), the same long sleeved black t-shirt with "Steelers" looking all mean across the front, the same Casey Hampton jersey that’s about three sizes too large, the same old raggedy ass hat from like 1985, the same fleece polo for before the game starts, and the same towel I brought to the Burgh for Super Bowl XL! Oh, and my Steelers socks and Nikes with black and gold trim. I haven’t been able to find contacts that have the Steelers logo in them, but I’m searching Google hard.

Prediction? There will be a game. Two teams will play. One from Pittsburgh, calling themselves the Steelers. The other from Glendale, calling themselves the Cardinals. The game will last for 60 minutes. (Sean's note: Apparently, Cotter does note see this game going into overtime.) Both teams will score points. One team will score more points. That team will win. Hopefully it will be the Steelers. Seriously, do it, Tomlin. Get ‘em in line!

Matt of Steelers Gab:

I'll be at the game covering, so question one probably won't apply since I'll have to dress professional.

As far as predictions, here's a couple to chew on:

Steelers will have 4 sacks of Kurt Warner. Lamarr Woodley will have two, and James Harrison one. Brett Keisel will also have one.

Willie Parker will score on a two-yard run, Santonio Holmes will have a 15-yard TD catch, and Heath Miller will pull in a 6-yard TD. Ben Roethlisberger will throw 19-for-27 for 289 yards with two TD's and no picks. He will be sacked twice.

The Steelers will lead 17-7 at the half, then the Cards will make it 17-14, but Roethlisberger's TD pass to Miller with 12 min left will make it 24-14, and a field goal from Jeff Reed will make it 27-14 with 6 min left. Arizona will get a TD with 3:35 left, but the Steelers will have enough to run out the clock and win 27-21.

(Sean's note: I wish Matt was more specific with his predictions!)

Jason of Jason Christ Superstar:

I'll be wearing my Tomlin "Yes We Can" T-shirt underneath my Miller (Heath not Jeff) Jersey. As for a score: Steelers 24 - Cards 17. Parker will have 67 yds no TDs, Moore, 75 total yds, Russell 14 yds 1 TD. Ben will throw for 230 yds, 1 TD, roughly 23-31. The D will have one TD. Warner will throw for 175 2 TDs, 3 INTs.

Mike of Steelahs.com

Attached is a photo of what I'll be wearing when I watch the Super Bowl. (Sean's note: The picture is below.) Plain old Steelers T-shirt on the left. Reebok Steelers hoodie on the right. Steelers cap on top of T-shirt.

It's important to not wear anything indicating past Steelers championships. Bad luck. The only thing in the photo I won't be wearing is the cap on the right. I had been wearing it for a few years and retired it after the Steelers won Super Bowl XL. It was the official good-luck cap of 2005. The cap on the left would earn the same status if the Steelers win Sunday.

Not pictured is the Rolling Rock I will drink. I'll be enjoying the taste of Old Latrobe in New York or Massachusetts. Not sure yet where I'll be watching the game.

Prediction: Steelers 33, Cardinals 31
MVP: Santonio Holmes
Other stuff that will happen: Troy Polamalu will get an interception. Limas Sweed will make a key third-down catch.



The Starter Wife of Black and Gold Tchotchkes:

Not sure what I am wearing, but I might just have a diaper on underneath it, just in case things go great... or poorly.

Ryan of Three River Sports

-Like you I'm also very superstitious. I'll be wearing my autographed, very well-worn Hines Ward jersey that has been around since about 2001, but now sees action only for very important games, like playoff games. In addition I'll be bringing along my Troy Polamalu bobblehead to a Super Bowl party of at least 20+ people and insisting that each and every one of them give him a bobble before game time.

A Serious Prediction: Santonio Holmes goes over 100 yards receiving for the Steelers and scores a TD on a deep ball.

A Not So Serious Prediction: The Refs actually call a penalty on one of the Arizona linemen for holding James Harrison. This is obviously a joke prediction though, because judging by the past several Steeler games, the NFL's holding rules only apply to offensive linemen if you aren't matched up against Harrison.

To wrap things up: HERE WE GO STEELERS!

Brenton from I Bleed Black 'n Gold:

I will have my usual Sunday debate: Ward or Roethlisberger jersey. Then consume frothy beverages from the Steelers mug I got from CVS in Wexford. It came with a crappy shirt in it, but I drink out of it every game.

Final Score: Pittsburgh:31 Arizona:24
Gameday Prediction: Lamar Woodley will kill two Cardinals, on accident.

(Sean's note: I think two dead Cardinals would taint and overshadow a Steelers win.)

Messiah of White Nerdy Wonks:

I'll be wearing a Troy jersey, but nothing all that superstitious. [My wife] has a Ben jersey, [child #1] has a Hines jersey, and one lucky triplet gets [child #1's] old Hines jersey. The other triplets will probably be in black onesies. I've ordered a dozen smiley cookies and we're ordering pizza from a place that's run by former Mineo's employees and supposedly uses the same recipe.

I predict Warner to have 175 yards passing in the first half, and Willie to have 53 yards in the first half. Then the second half will be brutal (D will be king on both sides), with the Steelers ekeing out a 7-point victory.

Mike of Have a Good Sandwich:

I'll be wearing a Hines Ward Super Bowl XL jersey to the Super Bowl. I'll also have a Terrible Towel in my possession.

I'd say that Ike Taylor will drop precisely one potential interception.

I won't make a prediction because I won't jinx the team.

Donald of Steelers Today:

I will be watching the game naked. The nice people here at the institution don't allow me to have any sharp objects in my room. And during Steelers games, they remove anything that I could use to hang myself should the Steelers lose. Thus, no clothes allowed during Steelers games. The latest medications that they've put me on seem to be working well. The doctors say that if I continue to take my meds, I MIGHT be allowed to wear clothes while I watch Steelers games next season. As far as predictions, the Steelers are going to win. The voices in my head told me so.

Sean of Sean's Ramblings (no link necessary since you're already here!):

I will wear my Louis Lipps jersey which has been much more successful than the Kendrell Bell and Kordell Stewart jerseys. I also have my Heinz pickle watch.

My prediction: Limas Sweed will do something good. Even if Sweed does nothing, by his standards, I count that as good.

Steelers 27 - Cardinals - 17


Thanks to all of my guests for participating! If you made it this far, thanks to you for reading. Feel free to share your own answers in the comments below.


Programming note: There will be multiple posts over the weekend including an exclusive interview that I may not be able to write up today. I'm sure that I'll mention the Puppy Bowl at some point too!


* Since this is Super Bowl week, anyone who is from Pittsburgh or writes any type of blog that mention the team is a Steelers blogger.

Pittsburgh Sports Update

If I wrote only a Pittsburgh sports blog, I would be required to discuss the Steelers draft. Since I don’t write a Pittsburgh sports blog, I don’t have to mention that I was surprised to see the Steelers select Illinois running back Rashard Mendenhall. I would express a concern that maybe Willie Parker’s recovery from a broken right fibula is not going that well. I would write that Najeh Davenport’s career as a Pittsburgh Steeler could be over. However, I would also state that I saw Mendenhall play in several games last season and he is an explosive running back who is fun to watch. Even if Willie Parker is 100%, Mendenhall can certainly take some carries away from Parker to give him rest for the entire season and playoffs. The Parker-Mendenhall combination could be one of the best running back tandems in the NFL. Although I would have liked to have seen the Steelers draft an offensive or defensive lineman in the first or second round, the team drafted two players, Mendenhall and six-foot-four wide receiver Limas Sweed of the University of Texas (a steal at #53), that can help them immediately.

Game two of the Penguins-Rangers series airs today at 2 on NBC. As always, go to The Pensblog and the Post-Gazette’s Empty Netters for all of your Penguins coverage.

Oh, the Pirates lost again too and their record is currently 9-15. That would be the second worst record in the National League, ahead of only the Washington Nationals’ 8-17. I can’t wait to see the epic Nationals-Pirates game in person on Thursday night.